Hybrid SACD the new standard?

If it happens,it could break the format or certainly give the format a longer time to break through however it'll just add to the confusion as far as Joe Public is concerned.
What about cost of the new discs?
I have no crystal ball but I worry SACD may already be dead in the water...............

Both Sony and Universal and catching flak on the copy protection on redbook cds making them "something other than redbook cds". Now, with one swoop they both dump redbook cd and jump on the copy protected sacd dual layer hybrid. Suddenly copy protection is not on the publics mind unless they look at the competition..ie BMG,etc....hybrid cds take over the old cd price list and "pushes its way into the mass market. Its all about copy protection on cd burners...just my opinion....if the pricing is too high it won't fly....so they'll have to make it attractive somehow....

They mention that price could "drop" to $ 23 a piece

I heard a rumor that sony laid off a bunch of folks working on the SACD project(s), has anyone else heard anything of this?? if this is the case I think sony feels they have lost enough money on this proposition(regardless of how it sounds) already-it may already be dead-we just don't know about it. I don't care for the potential $23 a disk that's for sure!! ~Tim

The packaging on the Hybrids says that they will play on any CD player. Has anyone ever tried to play one on a DVD player? I have a Marantz dv18, but I am not sure that I want to blow $23 on something that won't work. Thanks.

I'm always suspicious of news stories based on interviews that begin with the words, "Psst, buddy!" No single record company is going to stop producing CDs that list for $18 and switch to hybrids that list for $23. They do have to compete, you know.

As long as the market is predominantly CD, the record cos. are going to have to deliver sub-$20 discs. If they can figure out how to make hybrids cheaply enough to make a profit at that price, then they can switch over.

Also, I understand that SACDs are copy-protected, in the sense that you can't get a digital out yet. But that wouldn't affect the CD layer, would it? So how does a hybrid disc solve the copy protection problem?

They'll probably copy protect the cd layer of the daul layer sacd disc. Just my guess....

The few hybrids that i've listened to have given me a headache / listening fatigue. This took place on a couple of different occassions. My brother was with me one of these times and he experienced the same effect. Maybe i'm "tainting the water" for those that are hoping that SACD takes off, but i'm just passing on my experience. Sean
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Maybe it would be different in your home system, Sean? I just want the silly dvd-a, sacd "war" to go away...I do think sacd is being driven by the fact it is not able to be copied and the cd layer of a hybrid will be copy protected..the peggy back sacd will force its way into our homes, in time, if sony and universal bit the bullet and take some losses upfront. I think they are panicing and will do anything to "protect" the music. Losses to copying must be biting.....just my 2 cents worth[about.05cents US.....

I feel the same towards such a high price item, 23 is steep.
But let's assume that SACD doesn´t by itself open market enough.... so here you have this two companies with a fading profit generating media(CD) that is plagued with copy problems. Now if they have invested a bundle in SACD and if this is not making money in a foreseeable future, then let´s mate the failing old dog with the new hound copy protect everything and let´s the volume produced help the new one and copy protect the old dog.....Not bad thinking for them.
I´m not sure they´ll stop producing CD´s but for sure it will drive the market if the new stuff is "only available " in the hybrid discs...... let´s see if the catch bites the lure.....

This sucks. I always make back up copies of my cds so i'm able to store the originals and not scrach them and have to buy the album again. Isn't that the legal whole reason behind this anti-copying ban?